Groundhog Day

Coming out from under anesthesia, still groggy, my first thought and exclamation was, “Have I been shot?”

After all, with my lifestyle, I could have been shot. Other than sutures and broken bones and wounds, I had never had surgery before, never even been ill except for once when I contacted chicken pox as a kid—and my hillbilly grandma shooed chickens over my head and cured that.

I was 74-years-old when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer that required a technique called cryosurgery. Doctors assured me I was the perfect candidate for it—in excellent health and in good physical shape. After all, I had just climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and raced a bicycle 500 miles. I should be, in the surgeon’s words, “riding my bike and climbing mountains again” within three months.

That was eighteen months ago. It has been periodically Groundhog Day ever since, with pain and blood. Every time I think I’m recovering and regaining my former self—Groundhog Day!

I hiked into New Mexico’s mountains to study the Decalogue Stone, possibly a relic of the Ancient Israelis or Phoenicians. A couple of weeks later, back in a hospital emergency room. Complications not from the cancer, but from the surgery.

Dan Case and I traveled to Nauvoo, Illinois, where the Mormons launched the greatest mass exodus to the West in U.S. history. Afterwards, Groundhog Day!

I flew to Israel. More bleeding and complications soon after I returned.

That is the way it continues. My health deteriorate as I undergo each new medical “procedure” to correct the surgery. I’ve lost weight, muscle tone, and energy. I rotate in and our of emergency rooms, hospitals, and doctors’ offices. I’ve gone from optimistic and robust to depressed, lethargic, almost fatalistic. Hope only goes so far.

I’ve gone from climbing the tallest freestanding mountain in Africa to barely able to climb off the sofa.

I might have been better off getting shot. After all, I recover a lot faster.

A PERSONAL NOTE TO READERS: Guys, I’m still writing, just much more laboriously. Please forgive me if I don’t respond as readily on social media or email; I’m sometimes too ill and in pain. But I’ll be back. I will be back. Until then, you might wish to check out some of my published books on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or in many bookstores. Thank all of you for your best wishes and prayers. Charles W. Sasser

Discussion (14) ¬

I came across interesting information about the Israelis when I was taking an online class from Tel Aviv University. We were studying the Assyrian invasion, and since my father’s cousin and I tested to be 9% and 5% Middle Eastern and the only ancestor we knew about who was anything but Scottish was Cherokee, I wondered if some of the Israelis had escaped the invasion on Phoenician ships as they shared trading posts around the Mediterranean. Turns out some did escape after Masada and a Cherokee tribe in MO say that’s were they came from.

Please write me some time and send me your email address as I don’t have it. No hurry.

I’m going to pray for you every time I think of you, so keep me informed.

Morning, Carol. Here’s my emain: Charlessas@msn.com. Let me send you photos of the Decalogue Stone in New Mexico, and some of the mystery of it. I found another one of these, much smaller, used by the Israelites at the Museum in Jerusalem. A very great mystery.
Thank you for praying for me, Carol. God bless you. chuck sasser

Chuck, I had to have my pacemaker replaced before I could have back surgery and had to sit still for about 5 weeks to get the bleeding to stop. The the back surgery which I consider a success. The in May I had a kidney bleed. The hospital records shows it was caused by blood thinner. No more blood thinner for me. I still have trouble with a foot injury while in the army but I am doing better and actually writing and making good progress with “The Court Reporter Murder Case”. Good luck. JIM Jordan

Morning, Jim. Oh, Jeez! Jim, this getting old is not for the weak at heart. I don’t endorse it. Keep me posted on how things are going with you–and I’m looking forward to your new book.
God bless you.
chuck sasser

I am sorry to hear what you are going through. My illness was nowhere near as severe as yours, but I was ill for a very long time, and I know what you mean about the desperation. Don’t give up, my friend. Keep praying. I will pray for you too.

Morning, Robert. I know you’ve been ill for a very long time–and I’ve been very concerned about you. Maybe if we both can recover we can do some more treasure hunting this summer.
God bless you for praying for me, old friend. I know God must be listen9ing and planning everything for the better.
chuck

Hold on there, Amigo. You’re wearing your “Job” sombrero. You remind me of my late cousin, Col. Nick Rowe after over 4 years of captivity by the VC in the Mecong Delta—he said of a particularly bad period of time when he was about to give up hope that he remembered his Mom telling him “God tests hardest the ones He loves the most.” He prayed that day that God not love him quite so much. As you might remember, not long after that he was able to make good his escape and return to life in the U.S.A.
You have too much cowboy in you to give into depression which will only make your suffering worse. You know there are hundreds of us, maybe thousands, who are praying for your recovery and that’s a lot of directed positive energy going your way. Apparantly, God loves you a whole bunch and maybe He is trying to get you to act a bit more like 76 than 26 now.
Con Mucho Cariño Y Oraciones.

Morning, Jim. Did I ever tell you I met Nick years ago and we had long conversations. I was teaching combat tactics at the time.
I’m trying to believe you’re right, wanting to believe it,that “God tests hardest the ones he loves the most.”
I keep working on attitude–but this is the first time I’ve ever been ill and I’m not very good at it.
God bless you, old friend. And I’ll keep working on things. chuck sasser

it sounds like the man tough as gristle has been run though a meat tenderizer. I truly hope you get your strength back soon. you have brought a lot of enjoyment to your readers and were not ready to give up on you. you’re thought very highly of from all of us, your readers. may God Bless you Chuck.

Oh, Steve. You don’t know how grateful I am to all the people whohave befriended me over the years. Thank you, my friend. Thank you. Believe me, I’m fighting. It’s just that, having never been illbefore, I’m finding it hard to accept.’
God bless. chuck sasser

Prayers for you as you fight for gaining back your health. My friend who is recovering from prostate cancer is getting physical therapy to build up his strength. You might talk to your oncologist about setting up a plan. He has had some bled throughs also. You may also have to accept some limitations on your physical activities. My husband had to give up his old weight lifting routine due to a permanent port. He designed a new one that would not cause a problem. His outlook on life improved when he was able to return to the gym and resume some activity although having to accept that he could not longer use his former routine. Find new ways to be active and embrace them. He also had to sell his heavy pedal steel guitar and speakers and purchase a lighter weight one. That enabled him to return to performing with a local band at a local family country show. The trick is to look at what you used to do and see if there is a way you can. modify it. Also you might have to give up something as we had to hire yard work done for our large yard because he couldn’t do it because of fatigue, and I couldn’t do it because of breast cancer issues. I’m sorry this is so long, but perhaps something I’ve shared will be helpful. Think of the St. Francis prayer about wisdom about what you can change and what you can’t.